Today (Sunday, when I’m actually writing this), was the Pier Street Market. It’s the Market that I read tarot at every Sunday (almost) from May-September, in lovely Campbell River, BC.

It’s right on the waterfront, next to the pier. It’s an absolutely gorgeous location – beautiful sea breeze, view of the water and Quadra Island. And most of the summer, the weather is great. We have the odd occasion where the wind threatens to take out our tent, but we’ve had sun almost the whole season.

Except today. Today, autumn announced itself, with wind and rain. Close to half of the vendors (I think) backed out or just didn’t show up today. We even sat in the parking lot for a while trying to decide whether to stay or go, and if we stayed, how and where to set up.

We did stay, and really had to adapt for the weather. Because of the wind, the rain got everywhere, even inside the pop-up. Every gust spattered us inside the tent. (Admittedly, the pop-up is three years old, and it gets regular use in the summer, so the canopy is showing its age.)

We used our van as a brace, and bungee’d the legs to the tires. We used the curtains that normally make a privacy area for reading to make a canopy within the canopy, so the tarot cards would stay dry. We pulled the table back further into the tent, and didn’t put out all of our normal display to avoid damage.

And then we waited.

And waited.

And smiled at the hardy folks who came to the Market. And waited.

I thought to myself, “This is it. This is going to be the first day that I haven’t even made my table fees.”

This isn’t actually the first time that I have thought that. I have had quiet days in the past. The mental conversation typically goes something like this:

“Quiet day today. It’s still early. It will pick up. Today’s going to be the first day that I don’t make my table fees. Grr! That sucks. Focus on the positive. Be attractive. Maybe that person will come for a reading. No? I’m so angry. They’re going to ask for my table fees and it has to come out of my pocket. GRRR! Calm down. Relax. I can’t have lunch, because I haven’t made any money, and now I’m hangry, too. Great. ”

Et cetera, et cetera, working myself up into a tizzy of frustration and poor me. Which usually ends up as a lot of wasted energy, because I have always covered my table fees, at a minimum.

Today was different. The conversation started out the same. Up until the “Grr!” Today, it was, “Oh well. I’ve done well at other Markets, and that’s part of the risk of coming out.”

I actually maintained a positive expectation to cover the table fees. Yes, I dipped into doubt a few times, and I was able to bring myself back up easily. Even when the Market coordinator came to collect the fees, I was OK with it. I didn’t complain. I mentioned that we hadn’t done any business today, but not in the hope of not having to pay (like I sometimes have before). More as information for how the Market went overall.

I tried to work out the reasons we weren’t doing as well. Was it the weather? Was it our location? Was it because our tent was set back a little from the rest of the row? Was it because we had less on display? Did it really matter?

No. It didn’t. I was in a position of abundance instead of lack. Is positive thinking and a positive attitude a cure for all your ills? No. It still helps.

Sure enough, in the last half hour of the Market, I had two full length readings back to back that not only covered the table fees, they also covered the lunch my husband and I had. Thank you, Universe!

We are looking for models to use as inspiration for the drawings on the tarot cards. We want people of all shapes and sizes, colors and genders!

If you’d like to be featured on one of the cards in the deck that we are working on, please send us a picture of yourself. If you have a favorite card, please send a picture of yourself in the pose on the traditional tarot card image. You don’t have to dress in the costume, as we will take care of that part for you!

What do you get out of it?

Well, besides being on a tarot card? We will send you a 4×6 photo print of your card illustration.

Welcome to Tarot Thursday! I’m very excited to begin this journey. Katana and I have drawn a random card for every week of the year, so there isn’t going to be any specific order to the cards presented, though I’m sure the timing of each will be perfect.

Temperance is a Major Arcana card. Major Arcana tell us about big life lessons that are going on, over-arching themes in our lives, as opposed to the Minor Arcana, or suit cards, that tell us more about day-to-day life.

It’s quite interesting to me that the first card we’re looking at is Temperance, a card that I had a challenging time getting comfortable and connecting with.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of temperance is the 19th century movement against alcohol consumption and 1920’s prohibition. Which I guess connects with moderation, sort of. Except that in this context, temperance is really another form of extremism. Hence my trouble connecting the two!

The angel that is typical on most cards reinforces the “moral high ground” image. My grandmother was a chemical dependency counselor, and was very involved with AA and Al-Anon. I’m sure that had nothing to do with my difficulty connecting with this card.

Temperance generally depicts an angel with wings outstretched, one foot on land and one in the water. It is most often interpreted as balance or moderation.

In a reading, I often interpret Temperance as everything in moderation, including moderation. It’s about finding a balance between all the aspects of your life – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – as well as a balance between the conscious and sub-conscious, or the masculine and feminine, or the active and passive. Many times this card is a reminder to take care of yourself, or to be patient with yourself or the situation.

A more enlightened interpretation of the angel on the card is allowing your higher self to guide you, to rise above the material or surface appearances.

Temperance may also indicate a need to hear all sides before making a decision. Don’t jump in with both feet! Take time to receive and process all the information.

The angel is wearing green, a reminder to listen to your heart. Green is the color of the heart chakra. The halo, or crown of fire, indicates the crown chakra open and having a strong connection with the Divine. The rainbows refracting from the halo tells us that discernment is key, the ability to break the information being received into it’s component parts and discover the important pieces.

There are two cups in this image. One is silver for the feminine and receptive principle, and one is gold for the masculine and projective principle. At first glance, it looks as if the silver chalice is pouring water into the gold, however, the flow of water is actually from the gold to the silver (projective to receptive). Information and energy flows from all directions when you are open to receive it.

This is echoed by the one foot on land, and one in the water. One foot is in the conscious world, the known and seen. And one foot is in the subconscious world, the knowing without how you know, the unseen. Valuable information and energy comes from both.

The irises in the foreground symbolize messages – in Greek mythology, Iris was the Goddess of the Rainbow, and the messenger of Hera. If the irises stand out in a reading, it may be time to tap into feminine wisdom, and listen to what Goddess has to share with you. (They also remind me of my grandmother, whose name was Iris. I looked to her for guidance when she was alive, and I respected her greatly.)

Another common image in the Temperance tarot card is the sun rising over the mountains. Mountains symbolize enlightenment, and the sun rising above them means more light shining, more awareness on the journey. However, the path to the mountains is shrouded in fog. You’re not always going to be able to see your way on the path.

We’ve chosen to make the sun a gyroscope. Balance on the journey is not a static place – we’ll see this echoed through other cards in the future. Balance requires regular adjustments, course corrections. A gyroscope is used to help you orient yourself in your space, so the gyroscope sun is a reminder to use the light, and the quest for enlightenment, as your guide, your direction.

It takes strength to maintain your balance and to stand strong in your boundaries and convictions. Sometimes it takes strength to wait for all the information before making a decision. This angel is definitely not a pushover! The angel is facing the situation head on. If that’s what catches your eye, then this is definitely a time to hold strong and not back down!

What else do you see in this card? What messages does Temperance have for you?

At the end of the month, I’ll be heading off to Hekate’s Sickle Festival once again. The theme this year is a bit different than they have done in the past, and I’m really looking forward to it. (There is still time to register, if you are interested!)

This time of year is very much about looking inward, and connecting with those who have passed, the beloved dead. That’s definitely going to be a piece of the work that goes on this festival, however, instead of connecting through various deities, participants will be encouraged to connect through divination Lady Luck, the Goddess Fortuna. Walking the paths, attendees will get to meet personifications of select Major Arcana.

The Tower, from The Robin Wood Tarot

I’ll be personifying the Tower card. (Eep!) The Tower tarot card is one of those cards that no one really likes to see in a reading, because it means things are about to change in a fairly drastic way.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading about different interpretations of the Tarot card, looking for the positive, the lesson to be learned from the challenge this card presents. I firmly believe that none of the tarot cards are good or bad; they are a reflection of what is going on in your life.

After filtering through quite a number of interpretations, the Tower is about shaking off what doesn’t serve, and testing those lessons you think you’ve learned.

Shaking off what doesn’t serve

We often build up our egos with false premises and false beliefs. The Tower shakes you to your core, breaking off all the thoughts, ideas, and beliefs you have put in place to help you feel safe, secure, and justified in your actions. When you have built yourself up on these ideas that aren’t necessarily true, it’s like building your house on the sand. It’s going to wash away sooner or later. And really, you’re better off if you get it over with, so you can rebuild on solid ground.

Testing the lessons

The other message I frequently see in the Tower card is about testing how well you’ve learned your life lessons. Life is a spiral, a series of cycles, and we see similar life lessons come around and around and around. If you haven’t learned the lesson and thoroughly integrated what you’ve learned, the lesson gets more difficult each time it comes around. Eventually, the Universe comes along with the cosmic 2×4 (or cluex4), and that will definitely turn your life upside down.

On the other hand, if you have learned that lesson and fully integrated it, and if you’re aware, you’ll see the signs that the lesson is coming around again. You have an opportunity to act on what you’ve learned, and mitigate the challenges that you’re facing, so it doesn’t turn your life upside down.

Ultimately, the Tower does mean challenges and the potential for a fall. However, it is also an opportunity to reevaluate priorities, beliefs, and life choices so you can grow into your next phase on the path to enlightenment.

Just a quick update for today. My parents are visiting, so I have been enjoying spending time with them. I’ve also been creating again – I made a sandwich board for tarot readings, and I’m working on a sweater coat for my mom. They aren’t here much longer, so I’m focusing my energy on that instead of blogging!

First look at the Ace of cups from the Walks Within and ArtLoveLight Tarot Deck – and yes, we haven’t picked a name yet!

I’ve got a pretty busy tarot schedule this week. There are still appointments and drop-in spots available, though! Here’s the lowdown:

Today at 1:00 pm – Tarot Readings at Twotonium Ink in Campbell River

Saturday from 11 am – 4 pm – Tarot Readings at Mystic Earth Creations in Campbell River. It is also the River City Arts Fest downtown that day, so lots to see and do!

Saturday from 5 pm – 9 pm – Tarot Readings at Chances Casino. I’ll be giving readings and taking bookings for Tarot Parties! There are quite a few other amazing women with home businesses that will be there. Again, lots to see and do!

Monday at 1:00 pm – Tarot Readings at Twotonium Ink in Campbell River

I can also give readings by phone or Skype. Let me know what you would like!

Oh, and the image there is a first proof of the Ace of Cups from a tarot deck that Katana Dufour from artlovelight.com (she’s got some amazing art – go check out her website and buy some!) and I are collaborating on. What do you think?